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USAT Events

Webinar: Guiding 101: How to Guide a Blind/Visually Impaired Athlete Through a Triathlon

Topic: Guiding 101: How to Guide a Blind/Visually Impaired Athlete Through a Triathlon

Current and prospective guides will gain the knowledge they need to effectively guide those who are blind/visually impaired through a triathlon.
Topics to include:

Paratriathlon rules and equipment that apply to the T6 athletes (blind/visually impaired) and guides.
Crucial aspects of guiding in each of the disciplines; swim, bike, run and transitions, including first-hand knowledge and examples of effective and ineffective techniques.
The importance of knowing your role as a guide, effective communication with your athletes and understanding athlete-guide dynamics will be addressed.
After this webinar, participants will have the base knowledge needed to begin the guiding experience.

Aaron Scheidies is a 31-year-old that has overcome more in his short life than many conquer in a lifespan. Born with a hereditary eye condition that slowly deteriorates his central vision, Aaron now has 20% of the vision of a fully sighted person.
After battling through hard times in his early teens, Aaron found the sport of triathlon and turned his life around. Beginning with sprint triathlon and continuing up the triathlon pyramid, Aaron is now an eight-time World Champion and seven-time National Champion, having traveled around the globe competing in over 200 triathlons.

Aaron accomplished a long-standing goal, breaking the two hour barrier in an Olympic distance triathlon in 2008 and two times since with a time of 1:57:24, giving him the World’s best time for a person with a disability at that distance. In recognition of Aaron’s great accomplishments, Aaron was a finalist for the most prestigious award in sports, an ESPY for 2010 Best Male Athlete with a Disability.

Just as he is a multi-dimensional athlete, he also excels in other aspects of life. At Michigan State University, Aaron had a perfect 4.0 GPA, was the president of the MSU Triathlon Club, volunteered over 100 hours helping other students with disabilities and was inducted into the Athlete with Disabilities Hall of Fame. He graduated with a BS in Kinesiology from MSU, and in July 2008 completed his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Washington, going on to work as a therapist for RehabCare.

Aaron has committed to helping provide opportunities to others that are blind or visually impaired, granting them the same opportunity he has had to compete. Aaron serves as a spokesperson for the C Different Foundation which has the mission to educate, inspire and change society’s perspective on the blind community. The C Different Foundation pairs blind/visually impaired individuals with sighted guides to participate in an active lifestyle. In addition to his work with the C Different Foundation, Aaron has created a manual on “How to guide a blind athlete through a triathlon,” as well as conducting one on one guide training. He has spoken at schools and rehab facilities with the mission on “opportunity” for those that live every day without sight.